Tuesday, April 24, 2007

"These bags dispel the weird-vegan-granola-hippie thing." What's that then? I never eat granola - and all the hippies I ever knew (at Stonehendge free festival and the odd Here and Now / Steve Hillage/ Hawkwind gig) seemed to survive mainly on porridge, beans and small mushrooms.

They explain "Eco-chic" is the new buzzword when it comes to fashion. Mainstream companies are rolling out organic-fabric clothes and beauty companies are doing anything they can to compensate for it. Could vegan-friendly accessories be the next wave? The May issue of Lucky has an increasing number of faux-leather products, which are still sexy and stylish. But what does vegan mean when it comes to fashion? It means any products derived from an animal were not used. Truly vegan accessories use synthetic leather, vegetable dies and vegetable based glues. Thanks to Stella McCartney, who started the trend many others are committed to avoiding leather and fur, and also any animal-based glues or dyes. She (McCartney) started the trend, now we have the next wave.

Could Eco Chic be the straw on the camel's back of status quo and invoke the hundreth monkey syndrome? There's no doubt there is a new wave of veganism.

Koskella, a former Silicon Valley-ite, says the company started twoyears ago when a stylish vegan friend complained that all nonleathershoes were either ugly or poor in quality.

"This was an issue that the fashion world was not facing as peoplewere becoming more socially aware," she says. "There was amisconception that if you care about animals and the environment,you're a hippie.You can be a fashionista and be green," she says. "It's no longer afringe movement."